Communication Studies Concepts Quiz

What is the main difference between external validity and internal validity?

What does it mean for a hypothesis to be falsifiable?

Which paradigm in communication studies focuses on questioning power structures and social inequalities?

What is Occam's razor commonly used for in theory evaluation?

Which of the following best describes the role of intentionality in communication?

What is the significance of having both reliability and validity in research studies?

What does the term 'realist' refer to in communication studies?

What is the primary focus of critical theorists?

How do grand theories, middle-range theories, and narrow theories differ in terms of scope?

What is the difference between a research hypothesis and a research question?

What are the characteristics of scholarly research according to Trenholm?

What do the terms ideology, hegemony, emancipation, and alienation primarily refer to in communication studies?

Validity in Research

External validity refers to the extent to which research findings can be generalized to other contexts and populations.
Internal validity refers to the extent to which a study's design and procedures ensure that the results are due to the independent variable and not to other factors.

Theory Evaluation

A hypothesis is considered falsifiable if it can be proven or disproven through empirical evidence and observation.
Occam's razor is a principle used to evaluate theories, suggesting that, all things being equal, the simplest explanation or theory is preferred.

Communication Studies

The critical paradigm in communication studies focuses on questioning power structures and social inequalities.
Realist refers to a perspective in communication studies that emphasizes the role of objective reality in shaping human behavior and communication.

Research Design

A research hypothesis is a specific, testable prediction made by a researcher, whereas a research question is a more general inquiry guiding the research study.
Grand theories are broad in scope and attempt to explain a wide range of phenomena, middle-range theories are narrower in scope and focus on a specific context, and narrow theories are highly specific and limited in scope.

Critical Theory

Critical theorists primarily focus on critiquing and challenging dominant power structures and social inequalities.

Scholarly Research

According to Trenholm, scholarly research is characterized by being systematic, objective, empirical, and self-correcting.
Reliability and validity are both essential in research studies, as reliability ensures consistency in measurement, and validity ensures that the study measures what it claims to measure.

Key Concepts

Ideology, hegemony, emancipation, and alienation primarily refer to concepts related to power, domination, and liberation in communication studies.

Test your knowledge on various concepts in communication studies including historical periods, impact of communication, models of communication theory, characteristics of scholarly research, and philosophical assumptions.